Maggie Mercy was living in a small one bedroom house in an area where the trees and the animals were her friends, who were alive and spoke to her everyday. The small one bedroom house was occupied on a hill by a stream with a small waterfall directly south of the willow tree grove. It had one door for an entrance, which was red. The inside resembled a garden on a city rooftop, almost the same coloring of a greenhouse. The house had been there long before she had been born. Inside the house there lived the oldest living creature on Earth, it’s name was Story. Story knew all of Maggie Mercies family, from the very beginning of their existence. Story was nothing you’ve even seen before, Story always had on a red scarf given to him by Maggie Mercies father. And Story would tell Maggie Mercy tales about all of her family and the good times they spent together during all four of the seasons. Maggie Mercie was happy.

One day her house was found by passing loggers trying to find a new area of tress to cut down, so as to use for lumber. They were frightened by all the animals and trees who spoke to them as they were passing by. In sheer terror the loggers ran for their lives leaving all their equipment behind by Maggie Mercies small one bedroom house.

Winter passed, followed by Spring. Summer went by just like a merry wind, and then Fall came.

As Maggie Mercy and all her friends were watching all the trees lose their leaves. The same loggers that left all their logging equipment the Fall before this one, were seen over the mountains coming back. They were spotted by Barry the Bear who was in charge of watching for the loggers return. They were coming for not just for the equipment, but the trees that were alive and speaking. Hoping to take them back to the town over the mountains from Maggie Mercies small one bedroom house to show them off to prove they weren’t insane. Story heard about the loggers soon arrival from Barry the Bear, and then called a meeting with all the animals and Maggie Mercy, under the willow tree grove by her small one bedroom house.

Story told another, but different, tale about how this wasn’t the first time loggers had taken away most of the wonderful and pleasant trees. Story said how loggers took most of these trees from Maggie Mercies family long before she was born. And how her father was taken by the loggers to that town over the mountains where he was put to work on the railroads. Maggie Mercy heard Story, and wanted to stop the loggers from coming and taking the trees back. But she also wanted to find her father. Story told her not to go, for if she did she would never return. But Maggie Mercy missed her father, and she loved all the trees too much to let them be cut down by the loggers.

So she left to meet the loggers in the mountains, as they were on their way to her small one bedroom house to cut down the trees. But before she left, Maggie Mercy gave Story a cast iron smile which was given to her by Story from Maggie Mercy’s father. She told Story to hang it up above the red door of her small one bedroom house. Story agreed, he told Maggie Mercy how much he loved her. He then told Barry the Bear to watch her as far as he could, without being spotted. She then left.

Winter passed, followed by Spring. Summer went by just like a wistful wind, and then Fall came.

Another winter passed, followed by Spring. Which no flowers bloomed that year. Summer went by just like a nostalgic wind, and then Fall came.

Maggie Mercy never came back to her small one bedroom house. Story never saw her again, and all the animals left the cover of the willow tree grove. The door faded from red to brown rather quickly. All the loggers equipment and her small one bedroom house was consumed by the forest.

Then, after Winter had passed, which was followed by Spring. Summer danced by just like a mirthful wind, and then Fall came.

A little girl by the name of Mallory Mallabie found a cast iron smile hanging above what looked to be a door in an old abandoned house consumed by the forest. She opened the door and found inside the oldest living creature on Earth. His name was Story, and he told her a story about a girl named Maggie Mercy, her family, and how he got his red scarf.

Mallory Mallabie, now lives in a small one bedroom house in an area where the trees and the animals are her friends. And who are alive and speak to her everyday.

Since then Mallory Mallabie has been happy.

Dedicated to Amanda Garcia

By: Blake Byers

Daniel Reagan is fresh off his second Grammy win in the best Latin tropical album category for his trombone instrumental in the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The family man, who is married with three children as well as an SDSU graduate student in the Music and Jazz department, had just returned from a South American tour with Marc Anthony when I sat down with him. Reagan is a San Diego native and a talented trombone player that has been involved in the music scene since the 70’s when he moved to Berkeley. It was at this time when he first “fell into the wonderful, fertile scene where original music was what people were doing in respect to the jazz tradition, and there was an audience for it as well.”

Reagan says the flourishing Latin music scene in Berkeley is what helped him to develop his passion for La Musica Latina; his personal style of music really attracted him towards this particular genre. Following his time in Berkeley, Reagan moved to New York to pursue his musical career. This is where he began to play with some of the “top names” in Latin music. As for the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, it began with the Buena Vista Social Club who came together around 2000, and rekindled the career of a group of musicians in Cuba after becoming very successful.

“It opened the eyes of a lot of people, as far as a market for the type of music we’re playing.”

Leader of the band, Oscar Hernandez and Aaron Lebinson, decided to put together a group together which was, somewhat indirectly, “New York’s answer to the Buena Vista Social Club.” Reagan explains that the other musicians and singers in the orchestra are all contemporary. He was not part of the original orchestra; he was involved in the last three of the four total cd’s. “The first one was singer Frankie Vasquez, Ray de la Paz and Herman Olivera, these are to me, three of the best singers in the business in New York,” said Reagan.

Now the orchestra is a 13-piece band; 3 vocalists, a pianist, a bassist, 3 percussionists and 5 horn players. “It’s a powerhouse band, it’s kickass,” said Reagan. He did not expect to win the Grammy, not this year…and not in 2005. He believes the competition was fierce and, politically and musically, he didn’t think the Spanish Harlem Orchestra was popular enough outside New York. However, Reagan is proud to be a part of the orchestra and ecstatic with the outcome of their hard work.

His time spent playing with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra has taken him all around the world for music and jazz festivals, between 50 and 60, he estimates. He’s traveled to Australia, Japan, Indonesia, all over Europe, Canada, the United States and South America, to name a few destinations. “The Montreal Jazz Festival is the most amazing gig I’ve ever done,” said Reagan. The last time he played with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra was in December of 2009.

Reagan is now focusing on graduating in May. He finds the SDSU graduate program to be challenging and fulfilling in many ways. His return to school has helped him to delve into areas of music he wasn’t privy to in the non-academic musical scene. Since moving back to San Diego in 2007, after a brief stay in Atlanta following his time in New York, Reagan has been playing in more local areas around San Diego; retirement homes and centers for troubled youth. “I feel like I have a lot to tell people about how education can transform your life.” Following graduation, Reagan hopes to continue to be involved in the San Diego music scene, as well as other musical opportunities that may present themselves, and later down the road he hopes to be a professor of music.

 “I just feel completely fortunate to be able to make a living doing what I love to do and with my favorite people in my life, outside my own family.”

Click here to listen to the Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Spanish Harlem Orchestra website
ABC article on Grammy win!

By: Alexandra Tregre

By Alexandra Tregre

This past December, at the San Diego State University handcraft fair, held twice a year, two California artists returned for another successful appearance.
Huntington natives Eric Silk and Mike Newmark have been attending the popular fair for 12 and three years, respectively. Both intend on returning in the many years to come.
Although both work with dichroic glass, a melting of glass and metal, and attend many of the same shows in California, they each have something different to offer their customers.

I must admit when I first met Eric back in 2006, my first year in attendance at State, I was originally drawn to his Grateful Dead tunes and the hippie vibe he gave off. However, I began talking with him and immediately, his kind disposition and passion for what he was doing outshined the 70’s exterior that seemed to enchant me in the first place.

Eric Silk

Silk began a life in the arts about 20 years ago, first creating visual art and candles. The once-college student says the lure of working with his hands and having fun was just too appealing. About 12 years later he started working with dichroic glass and expanded his work to include jewelry and other art forms.
Silk’s passion for art has taken him on journeys to parts of California, Arizona and Nevada in order to sell his work. But he says SDSU’s handcraft fair is his favorite.

“SDSU is a fun campus, I do well here as opposed to a lot of schools; they allow less commercial vendors,” says Silk.

Students, faculty and administration alike appreciate his creative, stylistic jewelry, his visual art, and most fascinatingly, his shake me bottles which are bottles of swirly, shiny awesomeness. Silk says they’re bottles of simply water and ‘magic dust.’

Known for his more than reasonable pricing and his kind heart, Silk hopes to continue improving his work, travel more and looks forward to receiving feedback about new additions to his art. Look out for him in May at SDSU’s next handcraft fair.

Mike Newmark of Fine File Line found his way into the arts in a more abstract way. After retiring from the Vegas restaurant business, the OC native decided to take on a different field and first teamed up with his nephew in the crystal glass art nail file business. These creative files are made of dichroic glass and profile simple artwork on the top of each one. He soon parted ways with his nephew and began his own business with his wife a year and a half ago. The crystal glass files actually come from Europe, the technology was discovered in the Czech Republic.
These files differ from others not only because of their creative designs and dichroic glass base, but because, “the file does what it’s supposed to do; it never wears out and seals your natural (or artificial) nails,” says Newmark.

Mike Newmark

Newmark and his wife have a studio in Lake Forest where they sell the files, but also travel to various art markets around southern California to profile their work; Temecula, La Jolla, Hermosa Beach and Santa Barbara, to name a few.

“It’s been a pleasure,” says Newmark in an congenial tone.

However, Newmark invites artists to send their work to him as he’s always looking for new talent and new designs for the files. Artists can contact him on his website. If your artwork is chosen, he encourages the artists to come to shows with him around SoCal. SackMagazine encourages you to get artistically involved!

Dichroic glass art nail files

Both Silk and Newmark can be found in Huntington Beach at the Huntington fair every Friday; once a month the fair extends from Friday through Sunday. Silk and Newmark will be back at SDSU in May for the summer handcraft fair before the semesters end. So, if you’re in Huntington Beach, or any of the other mentioned locations, pay a visit to these chill dudes and be a part of SackMagazine’s art-centric revolution!

 December 19th, 2010. Today I woke up already in a weird mood. It was one of those days that you rise out of bed and reflect on the past weekend, week, month, but for me it was my childhood all the way up to the present day. I logged into my email and opened up an article written by Matt Aspen. The article spoke of our childhood and brought back memories that I seemed to have forgotten. I then thought about all of the unique and amazing people that have come into my life. Some of them by chance, some because I have this problem where I seem to talk to everyone who comes anywhere near me, and some I feel entered my life for a reason. I thought about the one that got away. I thought about everyone back home in Massachusetts and how much I truly miss them. The people I grew up with in Somerset, spending endless summers together and epic winters. Constant reunions on school breaks and always a great time. The kids I lived in the dorms with at Umass Amherst. They say that when you live in the dorms and make your first new college friends that these people will remain your friends forever, and I hope this is true. Eventually I began to think about how crazy life is, how you need to be prepared for the worst but always hope for the best. I can say my California adventure has been wild and a bit chaotic, to say the least. Although… it is only just beginning and we are in this together.

 ”I believe that it is when you least expect it that something great may come along, something better than you even hoped for, and it is that very thought that keeps a smile on my face” – SG – SackMagazine

My Tahoe Experience:

How Heaven on Earth Shined Its Light on Me

By: Matt Aspden

I had never been anywhere so beautiful in my life. That’s right, beautiful. Not exactly a word I throw around very often, but this place truly was. Now I’ve been to Florida, Jamaica, Cancun, but none of these tropical paradises even compared. As I headed back for the east coast, I stared out that window, tens of thousands of feet in the air, and watched as the California sunshine disappeared behind me. I remember thinking that I didn’t want to go home. Why would anyone want to leave this place? At that moment, I knew I was coming back. Maybe it was the snow-covered Sierra Mountains. Maybe it was the powerful feeling of standing right on that enormous lake. Maybe it was the people, the atmosphere, maybe even some jealousy of my best friend who calls this place home. All I knew for sure was that I was truly happy for him, and I was definitely coming back to Lake Tahoe.

Andrew, his brother Steve, and I go way back. I mean, as far back as a friendship can possibly go. Our fathers were best friends back in the day, tearing up Somerset High School until it would never be the same again. Practically from birth, our families were inseparable. I always remembered that swimming pool in the backyard. It couldn’t have been any bigger than your average pool, but back then it seemed like an ocean. I remember the basement that acted as our game room, and those slightly dangerous winding steps that undoubtedly saw us fall down from time to time. I remember the big sandbox we use to play in, and countless hours underneath that basketball hoop that seemed to tower over us. It seemed like every day we were riding our bikes to Rock Park or Chace Street. We didn’t have a care in the world then. Looking back now, they were some of the best times in that back yard on Domingos. But somewhere along the line, something happened. I don’t know what it was, but from what I know it was pointless and stupid. Our parents began to fight, over what I honestly don’t even think they themselves know. But from that point on, I didn’t get to play with Andrew and Steve anymore. All through elementary and middle school, I remember wanting to call Auntie Jo’s house, but my parents wouldn’t allow it. It wasn’t until High School that our friendship was reignited.

High school may very well have been the time of our lives. In retrospect, we did some wild and crazy things that I wonder how we even pulled them off. But the one time that will forever stand out in my memory is the summer after high school graduation. Knowing Andrew, everyone expected him to go to school to be a quarterback, a point guard, or a shortstop. But that’s not where Andrew’s real passion was. He had made the decision to go away to college, far away to a place called Sierra Nevada College. It was then that we decided to go out with an absolute bang. That was the exact moment that the idea of “The List” was born. As we sat on the back patio on Gifford, we brainstormed for hours with a little help from Ganja Babe. We decided that before Andrew left, we would make a list of everything we wanted to accomplish before he left for Tahoe. Before we knew it, we compiled a list that could only be described as epic. It was a long list, and I honestly did not believe we would finish much of what was on it. However, I completely underestimated the entire essence of that summer. Clearly, there was something bigger going on than just the routine summer activities. This was a send-off of epic proportions, and man did we do it in style. I only wish I had a copy of “The List” so I could share it with all of you. I still cannot believe some of the things we did; pool-hopping, the 50-yard line ritual, drunken fishing, climbing Mt. Washington, and the crazy insane house parties just to name a few. I’m sure Andrew still has that list, and it should probably be considered for the Sack Magazine Hall of Fame.

It wasn’t long before the summer came to an end. We had raged all night and Andrew’s flight was first thing in the morning. I dropped him off at home in the wee hours of the morning, and just like that he was off. Over the next few months, Andrew kept in touch and kept telling me about this place he was in. There was never a negative thing to come out of his mouth. He seemed ecstatic about this place, and the way he spoke about it every week made me want to go. “You have to come out here, man,” he would say, “then you would understand.” So, when my birthday came along I asked my father for one thing, a plane ticket to Lake Tahoe. When spring break rolled around, my buddy Mike and I were off for my first trip to the west coast. What a time we had out there! The people were great, much different from the people back home. Everyone was so nice to everyone. It wasn’t like back here where you walk past someone on the street and they don’t even acknowledge your presence. My whole world was basically turned upside down. Everyone was so liberated, and they thought about things much more differently than I ever would have back home. We had a great time, I was glad to visit Andrew and even more amazed at Lake Tahoe itself. I had a funny feeling then that this was not my last time at this place.

A little more than a year later, there I was at TF Green in Providence ready to board my flight to Tahoe. Only this time I was riding solo. It was the first time I ever went anywhere significant alone. I will admit I was a little worried to travel that far alone for the first time, but then I would think of where I was going, who and what I was going to see, and what I was going to do. As soon as I arrived, I knew that my last trip wasn’t even going to compare to this one. Before we even got to the “Atrium,” we stopped at a beach party to spread the word of the rager that was about to unfold. That night, my first night back in Tahoe, we had easily the best party I’ve ever been to. I did have a little help to enjoy that party, but that’s neither here nor there. There must have been at least 100 people in the atrium at once, and the booze was flowing like a running river. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of bottles and cans we picked up the next day. It sure was quite a way to start off this amazing journey. Over the next few days, I grew accustom to “living” in Tahoe. From climbing through a blizzard on Diamond Peak to an incredible showing of Avatar to one hell of a round of bowling, there wasn’t anything that we weren’t down for. I’m not going to go into too much detail, but we definitely spent most of the time extremely inebriated, which may have been the best part about all the activities we accomplished. Let’s just say we went a little bit crazy but we definitely did it right, and that is all I can really say.

Eventually, my second trip to Tahoe had to come to an end. Honestly, I miss waking up to go to Art’s coffee shop and dominating the question of the day. I miss the atrium, and everyone that I got to hang out and live with for ten days. I miss the drives to South Lake and the sessions on the edge of the mountain overlooking the entire lake. I miss the absolutely crazy Diamond Peak hikes, the In-and-Out burgers, Lupita’s $1 tacos, and the incredibly delicious happy hour wings (that they wouldn’t let us take home). I miss the snow-covered mountains and the enormous lake. I miss the tall trees. I miss the clean air. And I miss the feeling I get when I am there. But most of all, I miss Andrew and Steve.

I used to call their parents Auntie JoAnn and Uncle Dave, and I still do. To me, that makes Andrew and Steve family. And though I do miss them, I couldn’t be any happier for them. Steve, you got knocked down by life numerous times. But as we know, it’s not if you get knocked down that matters, it’s if you can pick yourself back up. You made some choices that you’ve had to live with. But I am so proud of what you’ve become and what you have done. I can only hope to contribute to this amazing cause that you have started. I envy your drive and determination, and I wish you and Sack Magazine the best. Andrew, you may not know it, but you surprised a lot of people, myself included. I envy you for one reason; you are doing what you’ve always wanted to do. You didn’t care what other people wanted you to do. I can’t remember how many times McKinnon walked into Physics class with another letter from a college asking you to be their next quarterback. But that just wasn’t for you. This is why I envy you; I envy the certainty you have. I envy your direction in life and the way you have gone about it all. But most of all, I am proud of you. It seems like just yesterday we were playing in that sandbox. Oh, how quickly we have grown up. My visits to Andrew in Tahoe really put perspective in my life. Whenever I talk to Andrew or Steve, I’m reminded of what they are doing and what they are going to accomplish. And that drives me to do what I want to do, even if I don’t exactly know what that is yet. All my life, I’ve planned on doing what other people wanted me to do. I’ve realized that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and honestly I have my cousins to thank for that. All I ever wanted for my friends was for all of us to succeed. But, my hope for you guys was always different, because you are my family. I love you guys and miss you. But I know we still have time to spend, because “some may say the good times are on the way, and I know that this is true.” Until we meet again, stand tall, reach for the stars, and keep building those castles in the sky.

Peace, Love, & Empathy

Matt Aspden

A typical Monday night for me is spent studying and slaving away at homework in my apartment near SDSU these days. But, in another apartment in North Park, Mundy Knights, a rising talent in the San Diego music industry, is practicing and rehearsing their sound.

Earlier this month, on Nov. 16, Mundy Knights performed eight of their songs at the Tin Can Ale House, a trendy venue near downtown San Diego. The band, comprised of JT Katavich (vocals), Chris Adcock (drums), Rob Logic (guitar), Travis Poe (bass), and Aaron Thornhill (guitar), considers their music ‘alternative rock’ and first got together in 2008.

Since then, newest member JT Katavich, has joined the group and added to the musical repertoire by providing unique vocals and extra enthusiasm. Katavich, a fellow SDSU student, says he was first introduced to the band through Thornhill while working at Woodstocks, off El Cajon.

When Mundy Knights first got together, the band considered choosing a name as the most difficult task; the rest was good times and good music. A rigorous selection process, the guys recruited their friends and acquaintances to determine the best-suited name through their myspace page. They came up with close to a hundred different titles, and received feedback deeming each attempt unworthy or already used…until Mundy Knights. A clever twist on Monday night, the actual time the band practices, was eventually decided upon.

Their Nov. 16 performance was the 7th for Mundy Knights; the first was held at AEPI, the Jewish fraternity at SDSU. Logic says the band would prefer to play house parties over bars. He claims that people at bars come strictly to drink, while people at house parties are ready to listen. The majority of their performances were held in North Park.

First band out, Mundy Knights opened up with their song, “Earthquakes,” and continued to perform songs ranging from subjects of “impossible walls” to the swine flu.

As Mundy Knights began their performance, a smaller crowd of hipsters and indie rockers drifted toward the stage. Mundy Knights drew the largest crowd of the night with few people left in the audience for Falling Trees and La Re. The band boasted lots of energy and powerful instrumentals. Adcock provided an impressive drum set and Katavich exuded confidence and charismatic vocals while sipping Moose Drool, one of my personal favorites, throughout the set.

Katavich and Logic say the band is still developing their first album, but it is in the works and promises to be entertaining upon release. Their next performance will be sometime in the middle of December, the exact date is to be decided.

Perhaps next Monday night you’ll be inspired to engage your hidden talents, or rest assured, you can join me studying around SDSU…your choice!